People have only until Tuesday to register for the election and can do so at BeBallotReady.Vote or by calling the Maricopa County Elections Department at 602-506-1511.
By Scott Shumaker | East Valley Tribune
Early voting for the Aug. 2 Primary Election begins Thursday, July 6, and endorsements in the Mesa City Council races are stirring things up.
People have only until Tuesday to register for the election and can do so at BeBallotReady.Vote or by calling the Maricopa County Elections Department at 602-506-1511.
The election assures at least two new faces on City Council as two of the three seats are currently occupied by members who are termed out. District 5 Councilman David Luna and District 6 Councilman Kevin Thompson were not eligible to run again.
Luna’s successor is already a virtual certainty because Alicia Goforth has no opposition.
In District 4, incumbent Vice Mayor Jenn Duff is seeking a second term while facing two challengers, on the council against two challengers who are newcomers to the local political scene – Trista Guzman Glover, 33, and Nathaniel Ross, 21.
In District 6, Scott Somers, a Phoenix firefighter who served on City Council for eight years before he was termed out in 2014. He’s facing a challenge from businesswoman Darla Trendler.
A candidate needs more than 50% of the votes cast to win a seat Aug. 2. If no candidate passes that mark, the top two vote getters will face off in the General Election Nov. 8.
Mesa City Council races are nonpartisan, meaning party affiliations are not listed on the ballot.
Below is a summary of how the races are shaping up so far, including information on endorsements and candidates’ positions based on their answers to a questionnaire sent out by the Tribune in May.
